On energy/information cross-layer architectures

The importance of architectural principles in the design of engineering systems is well-recognized. This paper argues that the traditional separation between energy delivery and information delivery leads to suboptimal systems. To demonstrate this for wireline systems that may use DC powerline communication, a capacity-power-wiring cost function is defined. Signaling strategies that optimize this function deliver patterned energy: a commodity measured in bits and joules such that energy and information are intermixed. Cross-layer design leads to improved performance.